Texas Burlesque Festival 2026: Shows & Parties

The Texas Burlesque Festival is not a vague “week of parties” thing. It’s a specific three-night Austin event running Thursday, May 14 through Saturday, May 16, 2026 — and the biggest correction here is the calendar. The early roundup that mentioned May 11-14 points people toward the week, but the festival itself starts on May 14. The shape is simple: one opening-night party show at Elysium, then two mainstage competition nights at the Rollins Theatre inside the Long Center. ### So when is it actually happening? The festival runs May 14-16, 2026. Thursday night is the Opening Night Extravaganza at Elysium Nightclub. Friday and Saturday shift to the Rollins Theatre at the Long Center. That matters because if you built plans around “May 11-14,” you’d show up before the event really begins. ### What happens on Thursday night? Thursday is the mixer-meets-show version of the festival. (texasburlesquefestival.com) Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 9 p.m. at Elysium. It’s pitched as the social entry point — cocktails, vendors, out-of-town performers, and a looser party atmosphere than the theater nights. Gemmi Galactic hosts, and Eros Sea — the 2025 Saturday Night Audience Choice winner from New Orleans — is the headliner. ### What are the main shows? Friday and Saturday are the big stage nights. They happen at the Rollins Theatre, with doors at 7 p.m. and shows at 8 p.m. nightly. Friday’s headliner is Jessabelle Thunder from Los Angeles, with Austin’s Bat City Bombshells featured as local luminaries. Saturday centers on burlesque legend Madame E, with World Famous *BOB* emceeing. Basically, Thursday is the warm-up party; Friday and Saturday are the marquee festival performances. (tickets.atxtheatre.org) ### Who else is in the lineup? The festival is pulling performers from Austin, Houston, New Orleans, Denver, Tennessee, and beyond. Thursday’s opening-night bill alone includes Aileen Stunning, BellaDonna Dufraine, Dahlia Derringer, Frisky Business Burlesque, Khaos, LuLu La Bijou, Poppy Tart, Rose Goldfish, and Wyatt Diamond & The First Theydy. The broader festival pitch says more than 50 performers are involved across the weekend. (texasburlesquefestival.com) ### Is this just shows, or are there parties too? It’s both. The “shows” part is obvious, but the Thursday event is explicitly built as a mix-and-mingle night with vendors and a party feel. The official site also lists workshops alongside events and tickets, which tells you the weekend is trying to serve both audiences and performers — not just people dropping in for one stage show. (tickets.atxtheatre.org) ### What about tickets and accessibility? Ticket listings show prices ranging from about $25 to $55 for the festival nights, while the Thursday opening-night event has its own separate ticketing page. One useful detail: the festival says ASL interpreters will be present all three nights, and the official ticket page repeats that interpreters will be at the Long Center shows. (texasburlesquefestival.com) ### What’s the practical takeaway? If you want the party version, go Thursday at Elysium. If you want the full theatrical competition-night version, go Friday or Saturday at the Long Center. The main thing to remember is the corrected schedule: Texas Burlesque Festival 2026 runs May 14-16 in Austin, not May 11-14. (texasburlesquefestival.com) (austintexas.org)